


Savior

by DevBasaa



Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Durincest, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, One-Shot, Pre-Slash, sap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-02
Updated: 2013-03-02
Packaged: 2017-12-04 02:56:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/705733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DevBasaa/pseuds/DevBasaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fili is injured during an outing and Kili and Thorin rush to save his life.  Based on this fanart by <a href="http://kaciart.tumblr.com">Kaciart</a>:  <a href="http://kaciart.tumblr.com/post/44112311781">http://kaciart.tumblr.com/post/44112311781</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	Savior

**Author's Note:**

> I love Kaciart’s work and think it’s immensely inspirational for fiction. Finally an idea stuck and I saw it through. Thanks to Kaciart for her beautiful work!

~*~

“Get away from here! Go on, you damn fools!”

Kili cursed under his breath. He’d wanted to test his new bow; he’d wanted to show off what he’d learned to Thorin. Rabbits were nothing these days. He knew he could have pinned that bird right in the neck and brought home a perfect roast for his mother.

Then that damned man showed up, yapping at them, his scraggly body and crazed eyes giving shame to the beautiful bow he held. Worse yet that he’d pointed his arrow directly at Kili.

Thorin told both him and Fili to carefully turn around and slowly walk back to the ponies.

With both hands raised, Thorin called to the man. “We’re leaving, nothing to alarm yourself with. Simply lost our way.”

Fili kept looking over his shoulder as they walked. The man still yelled a few curses at them. “When do you think we crossed over into his property?”

Kili didn’t want to look back. How did some crazy man have a better bow than he did? “I’m not convinced we ever did. No fence row, no stump wood. The man’s clearly senile. He probably owns nothing.”

Fili chuckled. “Is that a pout I see?”

“Stuff it.”

“Aw, you’re upset that you didn’t get that bird!”

Kili scowled at his brother. “I said, shut it!”

“Lads!” Thorin’s tone closed both their mouths. Kili knew where Thorin’s thoughts lay. A man this crazed was unpredictable. Even a little squabble with his brother could set a lunatic off.

They’d tied their ponies to trees not far from the grove they’d chosen for hunting. The woods were thick here with hanging moss and many fallen logs. Even if they wanted to make a quick escape from here, the ponies couldn’t have managed it. Besides, Thorin felt a slow retreat would be best.

“How far do we need to go until he’s satisfied?” Fili asked, giving another glance behind him. Kili looked, too. The man still stood with his bow raised and aimed at them, though much smaller now with the distance.

“Hard to say,” Thorin said. “Just keep moving. Don’t bother looking back.”

Though after only a few paces, Kili saw Fili look back again.

Kili huffed. “I really wanted that quail. It would have been a plump bird to take home for mother.”

“Dis will be fine with the rabbits.”

Kili muttered under his breath. “It’s not the same.”

“Thorin, I think he’s following us.” Fili had turned almost completely around in his saddle. Kili looked again, surprised at how much ground the man had covered. Kili could see the crazy, eagle-eye he still gave them.

Thorin didn’t turn. “Let’s not rush or alarm him further. Keep your pace.”

They weren’t another ten paces when an arrow whizzed by Kili’s head. He startled and gasped. “Thorin!?”

“Forget it, let’s ride!”

At Thorin’s cry, Kili kicked his pony and she hefted into a gallop. The ground wasn’t well cleared and she could only go so fast. Another arrow shot past Kili, striking the tree just before him with shocking accuracy from that distance. Crazy old and knotty the man might be, but he had a killer shot! Kili urged his pony faster.

Kili heard the next arrow hit something and then heard a pony whinny. He turned to see Fili fighting with his mount. She reared and kicked, startled. Fili had a tight hold on her reins, but Kili could see the panic in his brother’s eyes. Kili pulled his pony around. The old man still jogged after them, his bow raised.

Well, two can play at this!

Kili pulled out his bow and drew an arrow from his quiver. Fili still fought with his pony, she now kept rearing in a circle, as Kili readied his aim.

“I’ve got a clean shot, Thorin,”

“There’s no sense in shooting him,” Thorin said, bringing his pony alongside Kili’s. He then shouted: “Fili, dismount if you have to, come on!”

As if on cue, Fili gave a yelp and fell to the ground. 

“That’s one way to dismount,” Kili said with a little chuckle. Fili’s pony turned and ran off, splitting the distance between Kili and Thorin and the crazy man. The man had stopped moving forward, but yelled another curse and kept his bow raised. Kili kept his bow up as well.

“What a lunatic,” Kili said. “We must be past his imagined property line by now.”

But Thorin didn’t answer. Kili spared him a quick glance and saw his face change, alarm widening his eyes. Kili dropped his aim and looked at where Fili was--no, where Fili should have been climbing to his feet and running to catch up with them.

Fili hadn’t moved.

Everything in Kili’s body went cold. “Fili!?”

Without hesitating, Kili jammed his bow and arrow into his quiver and dismounted, hurrying towards his brother. He kept his head down, though no more arrows had come toward them.

“Fili? Kili dropped down at Fili’s side and stared in horror. Fili lay on his back his leather jerkin loose from a broken tie and an arrow stuck out from his stomach. A blossom of red slowly grew around it. Fili’s eyes were opened, but distant and unfocused.

For a second, Kili couldn’t breathe. He hovered his hands over his brother’s body, unsure of what to touch, or not touch. Should he pull out the arrow? But he thought of his own kills and how the arrowhead rips the flesh and... Kili’s whole body trembled.

“THORIN!”

Then he heard it, in the distance, the old man shouting and cheering. Cheering like he’d made a kill. A new sensation thundered through Kili’s body then. Shifting to a knee, he quickly pulled out his bow and arrow again, aimed and made the dream shot he’d saved for the quail. The arrow sailed through the air and split the man’s throat right in the middle. Kili saw him sputter, blood spittle sailing through the air. Or maybe he just imagined it, the man still a good distance off, but it didn’t matter. The old, knotted, crazy man fell backwards to the ground, clutching his throat and, Kili hoped, dying a slow, painful death.

Thorin had arrived at his side and leaned over Fili. “Lad, Fili, do you hear me?”

Kili set aside his bow and watched Fili’s eyes finally flutter, his face grimacing. “Mahal, Thorin, it...it hurts.”

“I know, lad.” Thorin pushed aside the leather jerkin and then ripped apart Fili’s shirt. Fili jolted with a cry. 

“Kili, hold him still.”

Kili scrambled to his brother’s head and nestled it in his lap. Beads of sweat collected on Fili’s forehead and Kili wiped them away, stroking it into his hair, then simply stroking Fili’s hair. He’d done that before; he didn’t know if Fili remembered it. But sometimes at night, when Kili couldn’t sleep, he’d still crawl into his brother’s bed like a darrow and found comfort being there, especially when he could touch his brother. And he always expected Fili to wake up and kick him out, but it never happened like that. Fili would smile, give Kili a playful punch in the arm and never said a word on it.

“Fili, I’m here, I’m right here, just hold still.”

Kili watched Thorin asses the injury. The arrow stuck out from the lower right of Fili’s stomach. Kili wondered what sort of damage could be done there. He’d gutted many animals through the years, but how did they relate to a dwarf? And Kili knew if you punched a dwarf at that same place, but from the back, you could make him pee blood. 

By Durin, what had that crazy lunatic done to his Fili?

Fili lolled his head back and Kili drew his panicked gaze away from the injury. Kili forced a smile for his brother.

In a weak voice, Fili asked, “Is it bad?” Then he tried to lever himself up as if to see for himself. But Kili stroked his hair and softly pushed his head back into his lap, cupping his chin.

“Don’t look, brother, keep your eyes on me.”

“Kili, please tell me.”

Kili gritted his teeth into a smile. “Thorin has it handled, I’m here. We’re all going to be just fine.”

But the look on Thorin’s face said something utterly different from _fine_. Thorin sat back and looked around: at their ponies, nibbling grass nearby; at the woods around them; and then at Kili.

“Kili, I’m taking the leather strap from your quiver.”

Kili nodded and Thorin reached over to pull apart the strap from the quiver. He set that aside and leaned over Fili again, looking him in the eyes.

“Fili, do you still carry that flask?

Fili’s eyes had glazed again; he didn’t respond at first, which gave Kili a skipped heartbeat, but then he muttered, “What?”

“Do you still carry that damned flask, with the grain alcohol?”

“In...in my satchel.” 

Thorin darted up and whistled. The ponies lifted their heads—including Fili’s pony, who hadn’t traveled far off. She came to the call; Thorin met her halfway and dug through Fili’s bag, quickly returning with the silver flask. He shoved it at Kili as he kneeled back down at Fili’s side.

“Help him. He needs to take one good hit, but I need the rest.”

Kili’s gaze widened. “What are you going to do?”

Thorin gave him a hard look, darted a glance at the arrow, then levered himself over Fili again.

“Lad? FIli, lad, look at me.”

Panting, and with a half-lidded gaze, Fili turned his head towards Thorin. 

“You’re going to need to be very strong, as I know you are. You are a dwarf of Durin, you can bear anything.”

Kili felt his heart pound. Fili nodded in answer, but Kili wasn’t sure how much he understood. He seemed to be drifting more and more.

“Thorin?”

“It’s the arrowhead. That man...” Thorin shook his head. “I’m concerned he poisoned it. So, it needs to come out.” He then shifted back to pull a blade from Fili’s boot. “Give your brother the drink. He’s going to need it.”

Kili screwed off the flask lid and, holding Fili’s head, brought the spout to Fili’s lips. 

“Fili. Fili, take a drink. C’mon, wake up and drink this.”

Fili’s eyes fluttered again. “Kili?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

Fili reached up and clutched Kili’s sleeve with more strength than Kili expected. “Don’t leave, stay here with me.”

“Where else would I be, brother?” Kili felt himself tremble again, the fear in Fili’s voice sending panic through his veins. “C’mon, take a drink.”

He lifted the flask and dribbled the alcohol against Fili’s lips. Fili licked at the spirit, then opened his mouth and took a good swallow, grimacing as it went down.

“Give that to me. Now, use your leather strap for him to bite down on.”

Kili nodded and made the exchange. Thorin had kept busy while Kili fed Fili the drink. He had strips of cloth, ripped from a shirt, lying next to him and had removed his own jerkin and vest. Kili watched Thorin douse the blade with some of the alcohol, then with a nod, urged Kili to place the leather strap.

“Open your mouth again, Fili. You’re going to bite down on this.”

Fili did as told, though he panted and mostly had his mouth open. Kili pulled the leather strap back in place as Thorin hovered the flask over Fili’s wound.

“Fili,” Thorin said, “This is going to burn.” And then he poured the rest of the alcohol over Fili’s stomach.

Fili lurched from Kili’s grip, crying out, but biting down on the strap as Thorin anticipated. Kili grabbed Fili and pulled him back into his lap, gripping one arm across his chest and shoulders, with the other he held his head. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips to Fili’s forehead, softly murmuring against his skin. “Hold still, please hold still.”

Thorin hesitated only long enough for a deep breath and then he took the blade to Fili’s skin. Kili couldn’t watch. He closed his eyes and kissed his brother’s damp forehead. He tasted salty and musky and more familiar than he expected.

Fili didn’t stop yelling. It came out like growls as he bit down hard on the leather strap, his chest heaving. Kili held as tightly as he could and kept Fili from pitching forward again. He could feel blood throbbing through Fili’s body. It pulsed at his neck so hard a vein popped up like a rope had been threaded under his skin.

“It’s out, it’s out,” Thorin said. Kili looked back up then and watched Thorin packing the strips of cloth into the cut. The wound still bled, but it wasn’t gushing as Kili had feared it would. Then Thorin laid folded layers of cloth over the area and used more straps to hold it in place, tying it around Fili’s stomach.

Then Thorin sat back on his heels and heaved a huge sigh. Kili realized he could loosen his hold in Fili, though only did a small bit. He kissed his forehead again and stroked his sweat-soaked hair from his face. Fili’s breathing had calmed, so Kili pulled away the leather strap and tossed it aside.

“Is he going to be all right?”

Thorin studied his dressing, then Fili’s face. “I think so.”

Kili looked up at the leaf-canopied sky, let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. _Thank Mahal_ , he thought. He didn’t know what he would have done without his Fili. He’d never known a moment without him and did not ever want to consider such a thing.

“He needs herbs, though. We need to get him back home.”

Kili looked at Thorin again. “How are we to carry him?”

Glancing around the woods, Thorin said, “You are going to help me fashion a litter.”

Kili had propped Fili against a satchel and kissed his forehead again before setting to work with Thorin. They gathered long, thick branches and several smaller ones. Cutting apart bed rolls and ripping apart more shirts and blankets, they gathered as many ropes and ties as they could. Then they set to the task of tying all the branches like rungs on a ladder to the longer, thicker branches.

Periodically Kili checked on Fili as they worked. If Thorin felt Kili took too many breaks, he said nothing. But Kili always noticed Throin’s gaze on him as he returned from tucking the satchel at Fili’s neck again, or wiping hair from his face while murmuring reassurances. Fili rested well through it all, breathing softly, but barely awake. His eye lids would flutter whenever Kili spoke to him.

It didn’t take much longer and they’d built what they needed to carry Fili home. Thorin strapped for his pony to pull, then they hefted Fili onto the litter. He moaned with the movement at first, then seemed to wake up a bit more. Thorin said it was a good sign.

“What’s happening?” Fili asked as Thorin and Kili tied him to the litter. They put rope around his chest, just under his arms and tied him at each thigh, just above the knee.

“This should hold him,” Thorin said. Kili leaned over to touch Fili’s face again.

“We’re taking you back to the village on this.”

Fili’s eyes widened. “Where will you be? Will you be with me?”

Kili stroked Fili’s face again, his heart beating a litter quicker. Should it excite him this much that his brother needed him so?

“I’ll be on my pony. I have to lead yours. But I won’t be far, I promise. I’ll be right by you. Call my name and we’ll stop and I’ll be right there.”

Kili leaned forward and then realized he was about to kiss Fili’s lips. He caught himself, lifted his chin and kissed Fili’s forehead instead. Fili watched him very closely. Had he noticed? 

After Kili mounted his pony, he touched his lips and closed his eyes. By Mahal, he realized he still desperately wanted to kiss his brother’s lips.

The trek to the village was slow. Thorin’s pony couldn’t move quickly with the extra weight and the larger logs and rocks made Fili cry out or moan. Kili made Thorin stop several times at first, checking on Fili, but Fili assured him each time that he was fine, he could bear the pain. It also reassured Kili how much more awake Fili seemed.

Thorin gave Kili an odd look, then relaxed and said, “I’d like to see him with a healer as soon as possible. Do you think we’re all right to keep going, a bit longer a stretch this time?”

Kili hung his head. He knew how over protective he’d become, but how could he not when Fili looked at him with such desperation? “I think so,” he said.

They’d managed to travel a good distance without interruption. Even when suddenly Fili yelled, “By Durin!”, Kili reared his pony to get a good look, only to see that Thorin’s pony had lifted her tail and let a pile of manure drop. Fili turned his head with a grimace, but didn’t seem to have anything on him.

“Fili?” Thorin asked; he must have sensed the different tone in this cry from the others.

Fili waved his arm. “Keep going.”

“Sorry,” Kili said, from his mount and was rewarded by a weak smile from his brother.

“I’ve survived worse,” Fili said, gesturing to his stomach.

“You’re looking better, Brother.”

Fili chuckled. “Are you sure?”

Kili’s face became very warm then, so much it surprised him. And he couldn’t help how wide his smile grew. “I’m sure.”

Fili’s expression softened, then he laid his head back and closed his eyes. Kili figured he was likely very tired.

The remainder of the trip progressed well and remained uneventful. Once they arrived at the homestead, Thorin sent a neighbor dwarf lad to fetch their cousin, Oin, as Kili set to untying Fili. Their mother flew out the door asking what had happened. Thorin explained, but assured her how much better Fili already appeared. In fact, Fili insisted that he could walk to his room—despite Thorin’s counter that it was too soon. 

However, the moment Fili lifted his head, he moaned, turned over and vomited. 

Thorin nodded. “As I said, we carry him.”

Kili and Fili shared a small room beyond the kitchen. Oin arrived quickly and between the four of them, they hoisted Fili to his bed. Oin set to work, barking instructions. Dis hurried to the kitchen to boil hot water and Kili rushed to gather more cloths and linens for bandaging.

Kili returned to see Fili crying in pain again as Oin poked and prodded at the wound.

“Can’t we give him something again!?” Kili yelled and wanted to throw the blankets at Oin’s head. Oin tutted, then pulled a small vile from his pocket and handed it to Kili.

“One hit of that, he won’t remember a thing.”

Kili uncapped the bottle, sniffed it, then jerked his head back with a grimace. How dreadful! And Fili had to drink it? But at the next cry from his brother, Kili stopped hesitating and helped Fili take a sip. He drank, but started to gag. The stuff had smelled vile, Kili couldn’t imagine how badly it must have tasted.

Kili stroked Fili’s forehead and whispered to him, “Relax, let the medicine work.”

The medicine did work, and quickly. Fili breathed easy, unconscious, as Oin deeply cleaned the wound. He told Thorin he did right by removing the arrowhead; it had indeed been poisoned. Oin used a blade to cut at bits of dead flesh, still affected by the exposure. Kili turned his back to that and focused on Fili. Their mother stood near, helping Oin with supplies and an extra hand.

Kili listened to Oin talk as he worked. He talked loud; his hearing had been failing for years. “It’s not bad, not bad at all. We’ll just clean up this bit and pack it with herbs and that’ll take the poison right out, that will. He’ll need to lie still through the night, I’ll clean it out again tomorrow, fresh herbs and all and it’ll heal fine, just fine.”

When Oin finished, Kili let their mother and Thorin talk with Oin and see him out. He stayed at Fili’s bedside. He grabbed a stool and set himself near Fili’s head.

Fili still slept, his mouth slightly slack, is chest rising, even and regular. He looked...beautiful, like a golden god asleep on an altar. Kili closed his eyes with a frown and thunked his palm against his forehead. When had he started thinking of his brother that way? Certainly, he’d always adored him, but—but— Did he really mean these things?

With a sigh, Kili relaxed and watched Fili sleep again. He continued to stroke a few strands of hair from his forehead, though they may have been imagined; he simply found comfort in stroking his brother’s face, but if asked, he’d probably claim it to be the hair. The fear of losing Fili had been so strong, so potent, it brought all these thoughts and feelings to the fore of Kili’s mind. He always knew he’d do anything for his brother. He didn’t have an ounce of remorse for killing that old man and only wished Thorin had let him do it sooner. He suspected Thorin wished that as well.

Kili thought of how close he’d come to kissing Fili on the litter. But it would only have been a kiss. Something so small, nothing. If he kissed him now, while asleep and without a memory of it, then perhaps Kili could put away these feelings and return to only seeing his brother as...a brother. Wasn’t that for the best?

Slowly, carefully, Kili leaned forward and pressed his mouth to Fili’s. It was a chaste kiss, really, though Kili knew he wished it wasn’t. He wished it could be more.

When he drew away, it was to Fili’s eyes fluttering open. Kili gasped when Fili looked right at him.

“Kili.”

Kil’s face felt instantly hot. “I-I’m sorry, I just—I thought—“

Fili grabbed Kili’s hand and squeezed. “What are you apologizing for?”

Kili gave Fili a wary look. Did he not realize? Perhaps he only took the kiss as a something familiar, an innocent family affection. Maybe that’s what it should be.

“I-I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Fili hesitated, then said. “You mean, you didn’t mean to kiss me.”

Kili turned his face away, stricken. Oh, Mahal, he DID know. Kili felt ill when Fili shook his hand free from Kili’s.

“Kili. Brother, look at me.”

Fili cupped Kili’s chin to turn his head. Fili smiled and rubbed his thumb over Kili’s cheek. Kili never thought something so simple as this touch could feel painful because it didn’t mean for Fili what Kili wished it did.

“You are my savior, thank you,” Fili said.

“Thorin saved you.”

“And I will thank him as well, but you are my _savior_. You kept me sane when I thought the pain would drive me mad. You said what I needed to hear when I thought my life was ending.”

“Fili, please don’t talk like that—“

“You showed me how much you love me with your touches and kisses. I never dreamed…” But Fili stopped and shook his head. “That kiss just now...you were apologizing, but...do you really mean that? It...would be all right if you kissed me that way again.”

Kili’s eyes widened; had he heard that right? “Are you sure? I mean, I thought I shouldn’t, but you were—“ Kili watched Fili’s expression falter, worry folding his brow. “No, wait.” Kili stopped stumbling through his words and took a deep breath to clear his head. Slowly, said what he knew he felt in his heart. “Yes, I want to kiss you like that again.”

Fili smiled again. He then drew Kili’s face closer, cupping his cheek and bringing him to another kiss. This kiss gave Kili the thrill he longed for, a delight over his flesh as Fili opened his mouth to him and their tongues touched. Kili shivered and moaned as Fili slid his hand into Kili’s hair. Maybe he shouldn’t be kissing his brother like this, but it felt too wonderful to stop. It felt good and right.

Kili caught his breath when the kiss ended, smiling.

“Is that all right?” Fili asked.

Kili’s smile spread. “Yes, it’s quite all right.”

“I’d offer more, but—“ Then he gestured down to the cloth wrapped around his stomach.

More. Kili could hardly believe they were saying these things! He shrugged with a grin. “A promise for later, then?”

Fili nodded. “Oh yes, I promise.”

A shout came from the kitchen. Their mother: “Kili! Please come help me with firewood!”

Thorin’s voice followed after. “And let your brother sleep for a bit! He needs it.”

Kili turned to call over his shoulder. “Coming!”

Before he could stand, Fili grabbed his arm tightly—a strong hold like Kili remembered from the forest, with that sense of desperation. “Don’t let me sleep so much that you’re not there. It’s you I need.”

Kili laid his hand over Fili’s. “As I promised in the woods, I’ll be right here. I’ll always be here.”

They shared another kiss, quicker this time, then Kili hurried out to help his mother. Kili could hardly believe the day and its events had happened. Maybe only after his brother was well could Kili be certain that a change had truly happened between them. But, until he knew otherwise, Kili could revel in the way his heart pounded and the tingle on his lips.

Grabbing the axe, Kili strode out the door into the yard. He had to hurry; his brother was waiting for him.

 

The End


End file.
